The Faith of Ashish: Blessings in India Book #1 (Blessings of India) [Kindle Edition]

Kay Marshall Strom (Author)

Book Description

“His name is Ashish. His name is Blessing. The boy is my blessing.”

Virat and Latha named their son Ashish, for he is the light and glory of their world. Yet a simple drink of water from the wrong cup changes them forever. Virat, Latha, and Ashish are Untouchables in 1905 India, members of a caste who must never contaminate the world of the other, higher, castes.

When Ashish is in desperate need of a doctor, Virat risks everything to save his son and ventures into the dangerous realm of the high caste. There, the strength of a father’s love, the power of a young British nurse, and the faith of a child change the lives around them.

"Kay Strom has penned a high-powered suspense novel using her extensive overseas research and her experiences in third world countries. A master in creating the unexpected." - DiAnn Mills, Christy Award winner and author of Pursuit of Justice, The Fire in Ember, and Under a Desert Sky

"Author Kay Marshall Strom, in her professional yet heart-rending style, has penned another story that will open the eyes and change the lives of her readers. This is an exquisitely written tale of hope and faith in the midst of difficulties born out of superstition and bondage. I am already anxiously awaiting the sequel!"-  Kathi Macias, award-winning author of more than 30 books, including the popular Extreme Devotion series

"Do not miss this historical, inspirational novel by Kay Marshall Strom. It will touch your heart."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Of Kay Marshall Strom’s 39 published books, four have been book club selections, nine have been translated into foreign languages, and one has been optioned for a movie. Her writing credits also include the Grace in Africa Series and the Blessings in India series. Her writing has appeared in several volumes, including More Than Conquerors, Amazing Love, The NIV Couple's Devotional Bible and The NIV Women's Devotional Bible, and The Bible for Today's Christian Woman. Her best-known book is Once Blind: The Life of John Newton, which is packaged with the recently released DVD Amazing Grace. She also has written several books with her husband, Dan Kline. Kay is a partner in Kline, Strom International, Inc., leaders in communication training. She currently lives in Eugene, Oregon. Learn more about Kay at www.kaystrom.com

Product Details

• File Size: 529 KB
• Print Length: 320 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (August 1, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005HJV7EW
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #360,114 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opener and Heart-breaker July 22, 2011

By Jeanette Morris

Format:Paperback

What does it take to break your heart? Would a brutal beating of a small Indian child, an Untouchable boy, move you to discover more about a society that places such little value on life? Why would a lowly tanner, a man who handles dead animals for their skins, name his son "Blessing" in a world where nothing blesses and everything worthwhile is in the hands of the rich and powerful? What kind of faith can possible overcome the heat and hopelessness of the poverty and filth in India?

Kay Marshall Strom's newest fiction release, "The Faith of Ashish" is a tender, poignant story told with a heart of love for the least-loved people on our planet. The reader enters the lives of Virat, Latha, and their son, Ashish, as they struggle to survive the cruel realities of their outcaste existence. The presence of one true Christian believer, a young nurse in a medical mission compound, shines the light of Christ into their darkness, proving the naming of their boy was not a mistake. Not a foolish rebellion against their dharma--their personal moral law. That hope does exist.

The story unfolds on many levels--revealing not only the plight of the Untouchables in India, but also the inadequacy of Christian mission in the early twentieth-century, and the confusion of true "religion" with those who claim roots in the faith, but do not practice it. We also meet the wealthy landowner, Mammen Samuel, who pretends to help poor people, but then makes them his slaves for life. What kind of a world tolerates such deceit in the name of God?

Our world. The one we in the prosperous West ignore in deference to our soft beds, our electronic toys, our stocked-to-the-brim pantries. Kay Strom is on a mission of her own: to bring the suffering people of the world into our homes by any means--to rouse us to action to make a difference. Several of her non-fiction works have highlighted the lives of persecuted believers. Her previous fiction series, Grace in Africa, shines a beacon on the evils of slavery--past and present. Now, she shows us India. The real India.

My heart was broken. I took the risk to read, to feel, to care. How about you?

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Pleasant Surprise August 22, 2011

By Melissa VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Five year old Ashish did not realize he could not drink from the well, but by doing so he brought a severe punishment upon himself. The well was not meant for the untouchable class and certainly not for the son of a chamara. By drinking from the wrong well, he polluted their water and as a result suffered a life threatening beating. After selling all their valuables, Ashish's parents, Virat and Latha were unable to acquire the help they needed to save his life. As a last resort Virat goes to a rich, Christian landowner, Mammen Samuel Varghese and asks for him to take their son to receive English medicine. The landowner agrees, but the price is steep--Ashish's family must become indentured servants to Mammen Samuel. As others families have learned, once indebted to this landowner, they are never able to pay off their debt. Set in 1905 in a small village in South India, The Faith of Ashish is a powerful story of oppression and the courage of a small family of `untouchables' within the Hindu caste system.

Normally I'm unhappy when a book is drastically different than I anticipated; that's not the case this time. I chose The Faith of Ashish expecting a fairly evangelical book complete with a conversation and some good examples of a Christian living out their faith. Perhaps there would be some fairly strong blessings from or leading to this conversation and maybe even some events bordering on miraculous. Wow, was I ever wrong. Instead I found my sleeper book of the year. Not only is it an engaging, gripping story, it's allowed to progress naturally showing God in action rather than through forced, trite dialog and idealistic events.

I love how Strom incorporates the Hindu caste system into this novel. Instead of telling how the system works, the characters work through the system. The result is a story that clearly demonstrates the ingenious, oppression that ensures the poor stay poor and the wealthy stay wealthy. This book takes the basics of the Hindu faith and shows the natural results of these teachings. Also provide is great insight into the family life of a Hindu family where women are subservient to men and girls are considered an unwelcomed burden to their parents. Most of this was very eye-opening as I had little idea of the inner-workings of the Hindu faith and how it affected all aspects of a families' life.

Along with the Hindu characters are Christians who vary greatly in practicing their faith. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between young, idealistic Abigail and the older, calloused Dr. Moore. Both cared for their patients, but Dr. Moore had reached a point of accepting the circumstances where as Abigail was still trying to understand them. These two were further contrasted against the proudly Christian Mammen Samuel. Though a descendant of a Christian family, it was extremely obvious that he held the title of Christian without true belief. With prayers reminiscent of the Pharisees, Mammen Samuel's character added an important dynamic that helped to pull this story together.

I was very impressed with The Faith of Ashish. As the first book in the Blessings in India series, it does have a rather abrupt ending that is perfect for this story. Strom has really laid a fantastic ground work with this first book. It's obvious she spent a lot of time researching and developing all aspects of this novel in order to give the reader a very authentic look into the Hindu culture. This is truly a remarkable book and one I highly recommend as not only an enjoyable read, but as an opportunity to better understand life in India.

Review title provided courtesy of Abingdon Press.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Faith of Ashish - Book 1 March 14, 2012

By Tania Jane

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was hard to put down. The characters were very real and authentically presented in this easy to read story. I was gripped by the shockingness of the lives of the outcastes and the fatalistic way in which they view life. The research done clearly let us into the Indian caste system and how it all plays out in its various levels. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out. From the preview, it continues with the same characters but many years later.